The Veteran's claims for earlier effective dates for increased ratings of his bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy are denied.
The deciding factor: The evidence does not support an earlier effective date as the claim was continuously pursued and no new or material evidence has been presented to warrant such a change in the effective date.
- Claimed conditions
- Right Lower Extremity Radiculopathy, Left Lower Extremity Radiculopathy (Femoral Nerve), Right Lower Extremity Radiculopathy (Femoral Nerve)
- How they argued it
- Secondary to another service-connected condition
- Exposure basis
- None
- Rating assigned
- None in this decision
- Decision date
- January 20, 2026
- Citation
- A26004949
This is a plain-language summary generated by AI from a public Board of Veterans’ Appeals decision. It can contain errors — always verify against the original. Look up the original decision on VA.gov (opens in a new tab) using citation A26004949.
What this means for you
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What you can do next
Related decisions
Other Board decisions on a similar condition or argued the same way.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's claims for higher ratings for right and left lower extremity radiculopathy are being remanded due to the need for a new VA examination to assess the current severity of his condition, without considering the ameliorative effects of any medication he uses.
- Granted
The Veteran's bilateral lower extremity radiculopathy has been granted a 30 percent disability rating since November 29, 2021.
- Remanded (sent back)
The Veteran's erectile dysfunction is likely due to his service-connected lumbar spine and radiculopathy conditions, with tramadol use possibly causing the condition by October 25, 2012. The effective date for ED will be remanded.,Due to the inextricably intertwined nature of the issues, including the need to determine if tramadol caused ED prior to August 30, 2013, the SMC issue is also remanded.
- Granted
The Board has determined that the evidence is at least in equipoise, and therefore grants service connection for Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) as secondary to Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and other service-connected conditions such as lumbar disc disease, right lower extremity radiculopathy, obstructive lung disease, and gastroesophageal reflux.
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